Jack
and the
Beanstalk
Jack
and the
Beanstalk
Once upon a time, there lived a boy called Jack. He
lived in a cottage with his mother and their most
valuable possession was a cow called Daisy. Daisy
provided fresh milk for Jack and his mother every
day. They loved her very much.
Sadly, the day came when Jack and his mother
had no money left. Jack’s mother told him that he
would have to take Daisy to the market to sell her.
Jack was distraught but he knew that they had
no choice. He set off to market with Daisy, feeling
very sorrowful.
21
On the way to market, Jack met a man. The man
had a large, curly moustache and was wearing a
sparkly yellow cloak. He stared with interest at
Daisy and then said, “What a fine cow you have
there, Jack!”
“How do you know my name?” asked Jack, confused.
“I know a lot of things,” chuckled the mysterious
man. “For example, I know that these beans that I
hold in my hand have magical powers.”
43
“I will give you these incredible beans in exchange
for your cow,” suggested the man. “When you
plant them, they will grow right up to the sky
within just a few hours!”
“Oh no,” replied Jack, “Daisy is all my mother
and I have and I must get a good price for her at
market today.”
“With these beans, you will never have to worry
about money again,” said the man persuasively.
At last, Jack gave in and swapped Daisy for
the beans.
65
When Jack arrived back at his house, he skipped
excitedly into the kitchen.
Are you back already, Jack?” asked his mother.
“I do hope you got a good price for Daisy.”
“Better than that, Mother,” sang Jack. “I have
magical beans!”
He started to explain about the man he had met but
his mother was not listening. She was extremely
angry. She took the beans and threw them out of
the window.
87
Jack was sent to his bedroom. He lay down on his
bed and cried himself to sleep.
The next morning, Jack woke up and noticed that
his bedroom was much darker than usual. A shadow
fell across the room. He ran outside to investigate.
109
Jack was astounded by
what he saw in his garden.
Overnight, the beans had
grown into a gigantic beanstalk. It was
thicker than the trunk of an ancient
tree and covered in healthy green
leaves. It was the most amazing plant
that he had ever seen!
The beanstalk went up high into
the clouds. He could not see the
top of it.
“I will climb this beanstalk,” said
Jack, feeling determined.
1211
Jack saw an enormous castle. As he
stepped closer, he realised that even the
door was far bigger than any he had ever
seen before. It had been left slightly ajar
and Jack was able to sneak inside.
Jack was fit and strong and started to climb the
beanstalk with ease. However, the higher he climbed,
the harder it got to find things that he could grab
on to. Soon, his limbs started to tire. “I must go on,”
he said to himself firmly. He grasped the beanstalk
and climbed higher up into the clouds. Eventually,
he reached the very top.
1413
Suddenly, the floor beneath Jack’s feet began to
shake and Jack heard a loud rumbling noise. His
heart was beating loudly in his chest as he scurried
quickly inside a cupboard to hide.
Jack stared in amazement. All of the furniture was
huge! The chairs and tables towered above him like
skyscrapers. There was a bowl of water on the floor
for a cat or a dog to drink from but it was so big
that Jack could have bathed in it!
1615
A colossal giant marched into the room. Jack peered
nervously through a hole in the cupboard door. The
giant’s face was covered by a bushy brown beard.
He had rosy cheeks and there was not one single
hair on the top of his head.
The terrifying giant sat down at the table. On the
table was a hen and a golden harp. The glittering
harp caught Jack’s eye and, although he was
petrified, he watched with fascination.
“Fee! Fi! Fo! Fum! I
smell the blood of an
Englishman,” bellowed
the giant menacingly.
Jack shivered with fear.
1817
“Sing,” said the giant and the harp sang. A beautiful,
calming song came out of the harp and it seemed to
cast a sort of spell over the giant because he soon
fell asleep.
“Lay,” said the giant and the hen laid an egg. The
egg was made of solid gold. Jack was mesmerised
by the bright, shining egg as he watched through
the hole in the cupboard door.
2019
The hen nestled happily under
Jack’s arm but the harp was
alarmed to be grabbed by
a stranger. As Jack headed
towards the door, the harp
cried, “Help, master!”
When Jack was certain that the
giant was fully asleep, he crept
out from his hiding place and
skilfully climbed up the table leg
and onto the table top. He grabbed
the hen and the harp and made a
daring leap down to the ground.
2221
The giant started to chase Jack. Jack didn’t stop
to look behind him. He ran with all his might. The
giant got closer and closer. The giant’s strides were
vast so he was able to catch up with Jack quickly.
The harp’s shouting woke up the
snoozing giant. He jumped up
from his chair and spotted Jack.
“Fee! Fi! Fo! Fum! I smell the blood
of an Englishman!” he roared.
2423
Jack reached the beanstalk and started to climb
back down it. He was breathing very quickly and
his heart was racing. It was not easy climbing
down the beanstalk while holding on to a hen and
a harp. The beanstalk shook. Jack looked upwards.
The giant had got onto the beanstalk and was
climbing down after him!
2625
Jack’s mother came rushing towards the beanstalk
with an axe in her hands. Without hesitation, she
sprinted to the base of the beanstalk and began
chopping at it frantically.
When Jack reached the bottom of the beanstalk, he
stumbled onto the ground, utterly exhausted. “Help!”
he shouted at the top of his voice. He knew that the
giant wasn’t far behind him.
2827
The beanstalk began to wobble and a loud cry came
from above them. The giant fell and crashed to the
ground. He was never seen again.
Jack hugged his mother. “Thank you,” he smiled,
still out of breath and shaking all over.
“I’m so glad to have you back, Jack,” she whispered,
looking at him lovingly.
3029
Jack’s mother was delighted to see the golden
harp and the hen. The harp now seemed
happy to call Jack his new master
and the hen quickly started to lay
golden eggs on Jack’s command. In
fact, Jack was able to sell the golden
eggs to buy Daisy back. They didn’t have to
worry about having enough money again and
they all lived happily ever after.
3231
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The Story Continues!
Let these characters inspire learning through a range
of supportive resources.
Poor Jack is upset when he is forced
to sell his beloved cow, Daisy, but the
magic beans he accepts in exchange for
her take him on a journey of adventure.
Will Jack and his mother live happily
ever after? Find out in this exciting
version of a classic fairy tale.
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